Ather 450X vs Ola S1 Pro Road Test Comparison Review: Performance, Range, Features, Ride Quality And Price

Two of the leading names in the electric game, which one deserves your money? 

The electric mobility space has become extremely competitive of late. While maximum range and performance is the end game, brands also rely heavily on features to promote their e-scooters. 

In this comparo we have two leaders of the Indian electric-scooter race. Ather Energy is the most experienced here and its 450X sets the benchmark in terms of refinement and experience. 

Ola may be new to the game, but is dishing out more scooters than anyone else currently. The S1 Pro comes packed with better range and features and the new MoveOS 2.0 OTA update is taking things up a notch. But, the scooter has its flaws. So, here are some performance numbers to help you make a better decision between these two.

Acceleration:

Numbers do not lie. Ola’s more powerful 5.5kW motor with a peak power of 8.5kW simply pulls away cleanly in comparison with Ather that has a much less powerful 3.3kW motor that peaks at 5.4kW. The thrust on the S1 Pro is noticeably punchier and it manages to get to 80kmph a full four seconds faster than the 450X. 

That said, the 450X’s throttle response is smoother, power comes in more predictably like on a conventional petrol-powered scooter, which makes it very easy to use, right out of the box. The throttle on the Ola doesn‘t feel as crisp and has a noticeable lag. On the road this is most annoying when you want to make quick overtakes or slow-speed manoeuvres like U-turns. For new users, the Ather offers an easier riding experience. 

The delayed throttle response on the Ola S1 Pro becomes more cumbersome in Eco mode. The lack of proper throttle calibration has a noticeable effect on how fast the S1 Pro gets to its top speed in Eco. Meanwhile the Ather gets to the 36kmph mark quickly and cleanly in just 8.60s, that’s 2.41s faster than the Ola. Given that Eco mode is important for users to conserve battery consumption by navigating urban conditions at slow speeds, a smoother throttle is important to handle reactionary manoeuvres. A delayed throttle robs you of that confidence.  

Braking:

The Ola does feel the more sure-footed scooter amongst the two when it comes to retardation. It takes marginally less ground to come to a halt than the 450X from 60kmph. What it also offers is assurance that either wheel won’t end up locking in an instant and losing traction. Thank the wider tyres of the S1 for this. The Ather’s braking is a bit too sharp, giving a light scare to most new buyers. The rear can easily lock up, which is great for showing off if you’re a teenager, but not what you want in the impending monsoons.
       
Range:

This is where the Ola S1 Pro shines through with undisputed performance. Our tester managed to extract 91.4km of range from the Ather 450X in the city while navigating real world conditions. The same test with the Ola S1 Pro resulted in 136km of real world range. 

But when the test was repeated in Ola’s normal mode, we got 141km of usable range. Our tester believes this is because the throttle lag in Ola’s Eco mode requires you to work the motor more than you do in the Normal mode. And as we’ve mentioned earlier, even though the Eco mode is present on the S1 Pro, it should only be used when you are using the last remaining portion of battery charge.

Features:

As you can see, the Ola S1 Pro is simply better packed than the Ather 450X with regard to features. That said, while the 450X does less things than the Ola S1 Pro, it does them better. The Ola does more but lacks the smoothness you would expect from a scooter. Hence it requires a lot more refinement in all those things it wants to do. 

So, while you will appreciate bits like cruise control and the in-built speakers (some won’t but anyway), the keyless experience isn’t exactly convenient. The app-based unlocking is tedious, limiting to just one user at any point in time. Then the screen froze a few times, leading us to hard reset the scooter like you would a smartphone. And lastly, the speedometer has a massive speedo error. So, while on our performance tests, our tester saw 117kmph on the dash but the VBox showed the scooter only touched 102kmph.
   
Price & Verdict:

Our series of tests concluded with some very interesting results. The Ola S1 Pro with the MoveOS 2.0 OTA update did well in acceleration, real world range, features, usable under-seat storage and ride quality too. 

The Ather 450X has a better Eco mode where the power is more linear and predictable. It charges quickly because of a smaller battery, but has charging stations across major cities. Smartphone connectivity was hassle free on the Ather, and so is finding usable space for your items thanks a flat floorboard. It’s got good ride quality and the next update will give it more range and power too. 

So it all comes down to the price then. The Ather 450X will cost you Rs 1,38,006 (ex-showroom Delhi including all subsidies), whereas the Ola S1 Pro will set you back by Rs 1,20,149 (ex-showroom Delhi including all subsidies). 

Hence, while the Ola S1 Pro is a far better product now than what we experienced months ago, it is still far from being the finished article. Bugs and glitches are still aplenty and the experience is still far from being a seamless transition from ICE scooters. 

And that’s exactly where the Ather shines. You don’t quite have to rethink how to ride a scooter, plus it offers the best electric experience out there as well. And given that there’s an improved version soon on the horizon, things are just going to get better.